Six Hoosiers That Represented Indiana In The NCAAs
Finally back on track after nearly two weeks in Omaha, I reflected on this unique season and found that we have more Hoosiers in the Elite Eight than I can remember from recent history. Of the eight in the national…
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Continue ReadingFinally back on track after nearly two weeks in Omaha, I reflected on this unique season and found that we have more Hoosiers in the Elite Eight than I can remember from recent history. Of the eight in the national quarterfinal, five of the teams have either a player currently on the roster or have received a commitment from a player on a club roster in Indiana (congrats, Emma Halter Emma Halter 5'5" | DS/L Roncalli | 2022 State #60 Nation IN !). Here are the six that showed out during their time in the bubble known as the NCAA tournament.
Purdue
I have to start with the lone Indiana school that made it past the second round. The roster is filled with kids from Indiana, but three stood out to me the most. Marissa Hornung (’18, 5-7 DS, Union, Providence) was an instrumental part of the Boilers’ exceptional serve receive and defense that got them this far in the first place. Most likely to wear the special jersey next year as a senior, Miss Hornung will be joined by her sister, Alex, in the fall. Jael Johnson (’18, 6-2 MB, Circle City, Avon) split time between being M1 and M2 throughout the season, and finished by hitting .350+, 2+ kills per set and 1+ blocks per set. She has blossomed quite nicely into one of the tougher middles to contain, and has yet another season with setter Hayley Bush to wrap up her Boiler career. We leave the best for last in Caitlyn Newton (’17, 6-1 OH, COA, Terre Haute South). Miss Newton, named Third-Team All-American this past season, was without a doubt the toughest out for any team that went against the black and gold. Leading the team in kills and aces, all while never coming off the floor, is a hard task to handle at any level, let alone in the Big Ten and beyond.
Nebraska
As starting libero for the first two years of her career, Kenzie Knuckles (’19, 5-8 L, Munciana, Yorktown) is the anchor that is defense and serve receive for the Huskers. She’s logged nearly 800 digs in her short time in Lincoln, and was this close to making another Final Four run for Nebraska.
Wisconsin
Although she saw little playing time later in the season, MJ Hammill (’20, 6-0 S, Circle City/Munciana, Center Grove) saw plenty of early action when All-American setter Sydney Hilley was out. This should count as great experience going forward, as the reins for the offense should be MJ’s to lose in the fall.
Kentucky
You can’t have an article about the NCAAs without mentioning the national champion. Not only was this Kentucky’s first title in volleyball, but it was also the first volleyball title for any team in the SEC. Hard to believe, with all of that talent in that conference, but it’s true. Leading the entire way for the Wildcats was Alli Stumler (’18, 6-1 OH, KIVA, Christian Academy of Indiana). Setting a near career-high in kills with 26 in the title match while hitting close to .500 (!!!), Alli was a primary-passing six rotation outside that was clearly the first option throughout the tournament. After a Third Team AA selection in 2019, Alli followed that hardware up with a First Team selection by the AVCA this past season.